Companion Dogs

We know them by a variety of names: companion dogs, pilot dogs, seeing-eye dogs, assistance dogs.
But whatever title they go by, these remarkably smart, well-trained animals have a very important
job - to make the world a more manageable place for their human partners.

This month, Columbus Parent's Go-To Guide looks at companion dogs - who trains them and who
uses them - because these canines are an integral part of many special lives in Central Ohio.

WHAT'S A COMPANION DOG?At Canine Companions for Independence , a non-profit national organization whose North
Central Regional Center is located in Delaware, carefully bred and trained dogs (Golden Retrievers,
Labrador Retrievers or a mix of the two breeds) are matched with individuals who have disabilities.

Only about 40 percent of the dogs, who are bred in California, make it all the way through
training to become a companion dog; temperament and medical problems are the usual reasons for
release from training. Those that don't are called "release dogs" and are adopted, often by police
and fire departments or government agencies for detection work.

A companion dog works for about seven to 10 years before retiring (into adoption and a
comfortable, non-working life).

WHAT DOES ACOMPANION DOG DO?The dogs are trained to perform one of four roles:

Skilled Companion Dogs: work with a child or adult who has an able-bodied adult partner.

Hearing Dogs: help the hearing-impaired by alerting them to sounds like doorbells, a baby's cry
or an alarm clock.

Facility Dogs: work with an able-bodied adult who is a professional caregiver or educator for
disabled individuals.

HOW IS A DOG TRAINED?

At the age of 8 weeks, a puppy is placed with a volunteer puppy raiser.

Until about the age of 18 months, the puppy raiser teaches the dog a variety of skills and
commands. The puppy raisers pay for all of the dogs' care.

The raiser hands the dog over to a training center where, for the next 6 to 9 months, the dog
learns up to 50 commands.

When this training is complete, dogs are paired with their future partners during a two-week
Team Training period.

At the end of the training period, a graduation ceremony is held, symbolically passing the dogs
from their puppy raisers to their new partners.

HOW DOESSOMEONE GET A COMPANION DOG?Laurel Marks, a spokeswoman for Canine Companions, said there is a two-year wait, on average,
for a companion dog from their organization.

Disabled individuals receive the dogs for free after applying to Canine Companions, which
raises money from private sources and
corporate grants. The new partners assume the costs of care for their dog.

After receiving a dog, the new partners receive follow-up support services and must
participate in ongoing training.

WHO CAN BE A PUPPY RAISER?Puppy raisers are a special breed themselves! Canine Companions' center in Delaware benefits
from the services of more than 130 puppy-raising households in a 14-state region. Many are families
with children.

Leslie Young of Galena Township decided to raise her first puppy six years ago and is now on
her fourth.

"I had just lost my pet dog and I just love puppies, who doesn't?" Young said of her decision
to become a puppy raiser. "But now I sometimes wonder who's learning more - me or the puppy."

Young estimated that paying for all of a puppy's food, medical and transportation costs has
cost about $1,000 for each dog; some of these costs may be tax-deductible as charitable
contributions.

The toughest part of being a puppy raiser, said Young, is handing the puppy over when his
early training period is over: "It's something you know and agree to, going in, but it's hard."

The graduation ceremony at the conclusion of each two-week Team Training period is a very
emotional event. The puppy raisers present the new partners with scrapbooks from their dog's puppy
days, and a slide show honors the puppy raisers and the time they spent with each dog. Then the
puppy raiser formally walks their dog up to the stage and hands him over to the new partner.

WHO DO COMPANION DOGS HELP?Though companion dogs originally were best known for helping the visually impaired, they now
are used to help people with a wide variety of physical, developmental and emotional challenges.
Some of these challenges include: spinal-cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy,
autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, spina bifida, arthritis, cerebral palsy, hearing and
visual impairment. Companion dogs also are used with patients in medical rehabilitation and
psychiatric programs, and residents of assisted-living facilities.

Derek Maher, 16, and his mother Janine Maher have welcomed companion dog Ilene into their
Lewis Center home. Derek, a sophomore at Olentangy High School, has a muscle-degenerative disorder.

"One of the biggest things is the companionship aspect," said Mrs. Maher. "We're going to try
to teach her a 'go get Mom' command."

Derek said his mother had been planning to get him a companion dog for quite a while.

"She knew a boy who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy like me and he had a dog," Derek said,
then turned to ask his mother, "Is he in college now?"

"I think he just graduated from Wright State," Mrs. Maher replied.

HOW DO I ACT AROUND A COMPANION DOG?If the dog does not belong to you, you should always ask his human partner first what would
be appropriate. If a dog becomes used to being petted by others, it could distract him from doing
his job and jeopardize the safety of his partner.

You should also never feed a companion dog: They have specialized diets that they need to
stick to in order to maintain a healthy weight.

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The Bulletin from Editor Jane Hawes

Columbus Parent Bulletin is a weekly e-newsletter, sent every Thursday, with family-friendly news, tips and ideas for things to do, places to go and people to know in Central Ohio.